Joseph John Kirby's Obituary
Joseph John Kirby - dedicated brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend passed away in Seattle, WA on Sunday, November 27, 2022, at the age of 75.
Joe was born on March 2, 1947, in Los Angeles, CA. He is survived by his wife of 46 years Deborah, son Zachary (Jin), daughter Lara (Euvin), hand-picked mother Tharon Kirby, sisters Judy (Bob) Quillen, Carolyn (Gary) Baker, Sue (Monty) Bakken, brothers Dave Kirby, Dennis (Diana) Kirby, Shannon II (Michele) Kirby, Joe (Jeanne) Kirby, and his 6 grandchildren Noah, Noah, Hana, Jonah, Devin, and Isla.
A longtime resident of Lakewood, Joe graduated from Lakes High School in 1964. He briefly attended Clark College and Pacific Lutheran University before volunteering to serve in Vietnam. Joe, like many young men, was assigned to the infantry. But, Joe being Joe, volunteered for and was accepted into the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit of the 1st Air Cavalry Division (Later the 75th Ranger Regiment), where he served as the medic of a 5 man LRRP team in 1968-1969. His one-year tour was spent operating behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia where his team gathered vital intelligence for the US Army while vastly outnumbered and out-gunned. Following his tour in Vietnam, he returned home, attending Washington State University and graduating with a degree in Zoology.
After college, and missing a life of adventure, he re-entered the military as a Commissioned Officer and in 1975 met his wife, Deborah, at Fort Polk Louisiana. They married in 1976, their son Zachary was born in 1977, and in 1980 their family was complete with the birth of their daughter Lara.
In 1983 Joe transitioned to the Army reserves and was commissioned as a police officer with the Tacoma Police Department (TPD). At TPD he served in the following departments and roles: Patrol Division, Special Investigations Division, Operations South Division, Support Services Division, Training, Criminal Investigations Division, Operations Bureau, Administrative Services Bureau, Animal Control Compliance Officer, Marine Services Unit & Dive Team Tactical Commander, Firearms Instructor, and most importantly, the department’s Moral Compass. Joe earned the Life-Saving Medal, Award of Merit, Critical Incident Impact Award, 27 Commendations, 17 Letters of Appreciation, and 1 Suspension which he was most proud of. Joe was vocal in that his biggest regret was that he fell short of the required 5 rammings needed to attain the distinguished title of “Ace”. Joe remained active in the Army reserves, where he was selected for the Special Forces. Not only was he one of the oldest to graduate from the US Army’s Airborne and Special Forces training, but in true Joe fashion, he graduated first in his class while earning his green beret. His military service culminated in Joe being hand-picked to serve as the Commanding Officer of the 12th Special Forces Group. He deployed to Panama to rebuild that country's national police force following the capture of the dictator Manuel Noriega. He retired from the Army in 1997 at the rank of Major, with 30 years of service, and from the Tacoma Police Department in 2019 as a Police Lieutenant following a colorful, storied, and decorated 36-year career.
Joe had many hobbies, too many to list. He was an enormously talented and artistic human. He never sat idle and continually built, enhanced, and improved his surroundings. When friends or family had a question about anything, they asked Joe, who always knew the answer. He truly was a jack of all trades.
Joe fought a long, arduous battle against pancreatic cancer with courage and tenacity. Throughout his final battle he never lost that bright twinkle in his eye he was so affectionately known for. Never one to go down lightly, he fought valiantly through his final breath, while surrounded by his loving family.
A servant leader, Joe was fiercely loved by many. To Joe, there was only right and wrong, black and white, and no in-between. If it meant there was a chance to right an injustice, he would charge into any battle, big or small, from the front. If he had your back it meant you were just. Alternatively, if you found yourself on the defense you probably know in your heart that you were wrong 😉. They don’t make them like Joe anymore – He will be missed.
Please join Joe’s family at his Celebration of Life Memorial Service at 3 pm on December 18, 2022, at the First Baptist Church of Lakewood (5400 112th St SW, Lakewood, WA 98499).
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